Faline's Training Summary

Faline is just about ready to go to her new home, and so to document in summary what all she has learned here this summer Jasi graciously took some videos for me this morning.

First I go into the pen to halter her and then lead her out to be tied.  She always is waiting at the gate because she loves to go do things.

Here is video of catching, haltering, and leading.

Here is Faline being groomed and having her hooves picked up.

Here is having her hooves handled farrier-style, with placing them on the hoof stand.

 I have two videos of farrier-style hoof handling.  In the first video Faline participated with the first three feet, then decided she was bored with it.  We went and did some other things, then came back for the last hoof.  This is a good example of Faline's temperament and how she objects to things sometime just because she's bored.  If I'd turned it into an argument then next time I approached placing the LH on the hoof stand we would have another go-around.  Because I didn't make a big deal out of it and just readdressed it later, it was no big deal.

Here is tacking up with the saddle

Here is fly spray

Faline wears a copper mouth eggbutt snaffle.

 

 

Here is Faline lunging in the round pen.  Some baby horse shenanigans, but that's to be expected as a two year old.

Faline stands nicely while I fiddle with ropes and get set up with the long lines for ground driving.

Her actual ground driving is pretty good!

Lastly we work at the mounting block, she has mostly got the idea that she walks up to it and stands with her elbow nearest to me.  I hang over her with my torso and arms, and even put a leg up on her back.  None of this bothers her, and she thinks it's interesting and likes to participate.  Everything, including mounting, is done from both sides.

Near the end of this first video the mounting block tips and I fall off of it, and you can see Faline spook.  Right away she comes back, I set up the block again, and we resume as though nothing happened.  She's super sensible about silly things like the human toppling off of a block, likely because she spent so much time working on the bridge, around big styrofoam blocks, on the mattress, wearing tarps and hula hoops....  me tipping over is just one more odd thing she's encountered here.

 I did get stills of the block tipping over from the video, and when I watched it in slow motion I was kind of proud of myself for how I nailed the landing and stayed balanced and upright even with the block rolling under me!  This is, however, a perfect example of why I always wear my helmet when doing mounting block work.  Sometimes it's not the horse who can get you, but the bucking mounting block! 

I love the expression on Faline's face in the last photo, she's clearly wondering what fresh nonsense I've performed this morning!  She's a good sport, and then went right back to the block to resume mounting training.

 

Faline has come a long way in the couple months she's been here this summer!  She knows how to wear all her tack, has good ground manners for handling including feet for the farrier and standing for fly spray, knows her voice commands on the lunge line (despite not doing much pounding in circles as she's so young), ground drives nicely including halting and backing, and stands for mounting from a block from the near and off sides.  I'm proud of this baby horse, and pleased she has had a chance to be exposed to so many important skills.  Hopefully this thorough ground work will make her first rides much easier in a couple years since she understands mounting and essentially already has gas, brakes, and steering.  I'm eager to see how she continues to progress!